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An advert for the bondage-themed property on Facebook reads: 'Equipped with all the comforts, we begind our plans with the idea of returning BDSM lovers the exclusivity that has been lost over time.

'We will have a public dungeon that is 500 square metres equipped with six areas with suspension equipment, various torture studs and St Andrew crosses distributed around the room so that our guests can enjoy their games, exhibit themselves and share experiences with other visitors, as well as three private dungeons.'

The village of Vilafranca, in the Valencia region, has just 2,500 inhabitants

But the businessman's plans ground to a halt after Vilafranca's mayor Oscar Tena launched a legal procedure to block saying the necessary paperwork wasn't in place to have a restaurant and hotel on the site.

The businessman originally told website TheLocal.es that he had planned to cater to the 'niche' market starting from August 1.

He said: 'With the Fifty Shades of Grey phenomenon in full swing, I saw a business opportunity that hadn’t been exploited yet in Spain.'

But locals claimed the development was 'unsuitable' as it was too close to the village chapel.

Religious outpost: The village chapel is 'beloved' by the locals who go their to worship their patron saint

However, the businessman has vowed to sue to the town hall for the decision, saying that up until the plans are unveiled locals were flocking to his hotel restaurant.

He said: 'It wasn’t until just a few days ago that one of Vilafranca’s online dailies ran a piece on our plans to open the sadomasochist hotel and this huge uproar began.'

Mayor Tena told Spanish newspaper ABC: ' We are very angry with this person for causing this scandal without saying anything to the proprietors of the hotel or the town hall.

'We don't want this in our village, because it is right next to our residencial centre and our chapel; it is a very beloved place because we celebrate a lot of things there.'